


Through Fire and Flame

by HaleyBombastic



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions, Pokemon - Fandom
Genre: Fluff, Other, POV Second Person, Pokemon Sword and Shield - Freeform, Post-Pokemon Sword & Shield, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25099840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaleyBombastic/pseuds/HaleyBombastic
Summary: Five years have passed since you had officially claimed the title of Galar Champion after your zealous battle with the famed Leon. You had become well acquainted with your new lifestyle and you wouldn't trade it for the world, but deep down you felt that you were losing the sense of excitement and motivation that you possessed during your days as a Gym Challenger. However, once the Gym Challenge takes a year off for renovations of Wyndon and the other gyms, you hear from the Motostoke Leader about the Hoenn region, whose Pokemon League is starting around the same time. With a spark of interest, you head for a new journey with the Leader to a region you haven't been to before: a new land, a new adventure, and new bonds.
Relationships: Kabu (Pokemon)/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Through Fire and Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the first fic that I have written in maybe four years(?) You may have noticed that this first chapter is EXTREMELY LONG. It took a while to figure out how to write this and get the plot going, and I'm trying to get a feel for how I used to write before. I thought it would be fun to write a fic about my fav Galar leader, Kabu! If you manage to make it through this first chapter, then thank you, and congratulations, the rest probably won't be as long or horribly written. Please feel free to leave comments but remember this is probably going to suck since idk entirely what I'm doing. Thank you for your time!

You sat on the cream coloured loveseat across from Sonia in the botanical room of her grandmother's house; the two of you were discussing her plans for compiling research on the origins of the infamous Eternatus and its possible connections to beings known as Ultra Beasts that invaded the distant Alola region quite some time ago. She was talking about collaborative research with a woman named Lusamine, who used to study the otherworldly beings and abruptly halted her research after the sudden invasion from the Beasts. Apparently the Alola Region has a professor there who also conducts similar studies. Sonia takes a drink from her tea before continuing your discussion.

"It's been quite some time since anyone actually conducted active studies on the presence and origins of these Ultra Beasts, articles said that after the last known encounter with them, there were no signs of their presence and it became harder to track them down." She paused for a moment, staring at the ripples in her drink and then taking another sip. "From what Lusamine has told me to far, they arrive through special wormholes and have similar yet distinct genetic structures to Pokémon, and if I'm on the right track I might be able to find some sort of connection to Eternatus."

You took a moment to process this, beings like Pokémon but yet at the same time something entirely unique and different. You narrowed your eyes and looked at her with concern. "Are you sure you can trust her though? I've heard that when this all went down, this woman was _fused_ or something with one of these things? How can you be sure that she is trustworthy, or if she is even still sane after what she went through?" 

"That's a good point, however, after that happened she entered rehabilitation in the Kanto Region whilst being monitored by her daughter and once she had the clear she resumed her work at the Aether Foundation." Her soft aqua eyes beamed at you as the excitement built up in her tone. "Plus, I'm going to be receiving help from Alola's Professor Burnet as well, the more research the better and the both of them have provided me with interesting papers so far, I'm even considering taking a trip for some studying abroad!"

 _Study abroad,_ that's what Hop was doing right around now as well. After he declared his desire to become a Pokémon professor himself, Hop was accepted to apprentice under Professor Bianca hailing from the Unova region. Once he told you his plans, you did your best to be happy and supportive of him, but it also hurt to see your childhood best friend leave like that. Now Sonia is considering leaving too, at least Bede and Marnie were still going to be around.

It's been around five years since you claimed the title of Champion from Leon during the climax of your Gym Challenge. The adrenaline and pressure building up during your battle proved to be worthwhile as you climbed your way to the top, dethroning the king and becoming the new Galar Champion. Your team worked the hardest that they could and it was not in vain; you wouldn't trade the Champion life for anything but at times it felt like things were slow, the battles weren't as exciting anymore and the media was always too much. It was always a wonder how Leon was able to manage it all.

Suddenly you were snapped back to reality when you noticed Sonia waving her hand in front of you. "Hey, Champ, are you okay? You kind of spaced out there?"

You quickly shook your head, much to your chagrin. "Yeah, no I was listening. Study abroad, huh? I think you should go for it, especially if it means you'll come closer to getting to the bottom of this whole mess!" You feigned a smile and took a sip from your now cold tea. 

"I think I've known you long enough to know that something is up."

You look her in the eyes, furrowing your brow. "How so?"

She crossed her legs and placed her hands on either side of her on the couch. She stared outside the window for a moment, noticing the Rookidee swooping by. "You know, ever since you became the Champion and Hop left for his studies, things have always felt different and I'm sure you feel the same." You pursed your lips and followed her gaze to the bird Pokémon, she was right as always, things _weren't_ the same. Sure you still called and texted each other frequently, and you still hung out with Leon and some of the Gym Leaders when you had the chance, but a lot has happened in the past five years and everyone had begun drifting away in their own way.

"If something is bothering you, you know you can tell me right? Or Leon, Nessa, or Raihan; any of us are here to support you in any way we can." She gave you her iconic smile and you couldn't help but feel warm from her kindness.

You sigh and turn back to the window. "Yeah, you're right... I think it's just... I've spent a while being Champion, and I've had fun during it all and it's been such an experience, but after a while it gets repetitive, you know? And now the League says that the Wyndon stadium and all the gyms will be getting renovations for the next year, and now I will have even _less_ to do!" You swing you head onto the back of the couch, laying an arm over your eyes. "I just, I really just want something new to happen, something big."

"I see," she says, nodding her head. "I know Leon was always satisfied and content with being Champion, but then again it was something he always worked towards ever since we were kids but you took the Gym Challenge on a whim, it makes sense if you realised it wasn't entirely what you expected. No one can blame you for wanting more in life!" After a few seconds, she snaps her fingers with a big grin and whips out her Rotom phone and begins to type immediately. You sit up with curiosity and raise an eyebrow at her.

"Sonia" you started. "What are you up to over there?"

"Oh you know, contacting some people to see what we can do to make our dear Champion happy!" She clicks her tongue as she has her conversation; you finish your drink while she's busy and after a few minutes of checking your own phone you hear a quiet _alright._ You look back at her and she smiles at you again. "So here's the deal: I asked around and Nessa and Milo said that even though they're both going to be busy modeling and farming respectively, Gym Leader Kabu may have something worth your interest over at Motostoke!"

The way she worded this was so vague and you tilted your head in confusion, _Kabu?_ You remembered the Motostoke leader distinctly from your battle with him, but the last time you had talked to him was at the last opening ceremony for the Gym Challenge last year and it was just a quick 'hello' between you two. You knew he was a mentor figure to both Nessa and Milo but you never really communicated with him after your challenge ended and you were certain things would feel awkward if you approached him now of all times.

"Okay so since you didn't really explain anything from that, I may have to pass on that." You tried to wave off your nervous laughter but she shook her finger and stood up, grabbing her bag. You weren't entirely sure what was happening but followed suit, slipping your backpack on and following her out of the room. "You do realise how ominous this is, right?"

"Trust me, I have to head back to my lab for an online meeting I have in half an hour but you have the rest of the year off. I want you to take a flying taxi to the Motostoke gym and meet up with Kabu! Nessa contacted him for me and he's agreed to meet up with you and elaborate on things for us. Trust me." She placed her hands on your shoulders expectantly, waiting for your response with puppy eyes. You couldn't help but give in, with a sigh you nodded and left Professor Magnolia's house together.

"I hope you understand how odd it is to shove this onto me from out of the blue, you _know_ I haven't talked to Kabu in forever too, I'm not even sure how what to say to him!"

She laughed, "Don't worry about that! He's a gentle soul and if anyone can help you figure out what to do from here on out, he's the one!" Before you could even say a rebuttal, the waved you off and began walking down Route 2. You grinded your teeth and called a taxi to the city; it was a quick ten-minute flight to Motostoke and the Corviknight, fortunately, flew you all the way to the gym entrance.

It was early January and there was still a thin layer of snow on the ground, with more piling on. Motostoke was still as bustling as ever, people were all bundled up in their winter attire and walking around with their Pokémon, enjoying their days. You were surprised that no one really paid much attention to you, except for the few who took notice and asked for pictures or signatures on their jerseys. These were some of the parts of your job you enjoyed the most and made being Champion all the more worthwhile.

Staring up to the grey sky, you adjusted your backpack and walked to the front doors of the gym, some gym trainers waiting by the door excitedly greeted you and welcomed you in, you could immediately feel the heat of the gym flush your face as you entered, it wasn't overwhelming and felt familiar, you stopped in your tracks, closed your eyes and took a deep breath. You could hear all the different monitors in the gym playing various channels, all the cluttering voices of conversations occurring, and Pokémon sitting around. There was something about the Motostoke gym that just embodied the idea of the Gym Challenge and the impressive feelings that came with it, it was no surprise that this was the gym where the opening ceremony was held. You walked towards the reception desk and the receptionist greeted you. "Hello, Champion! How may I help you today?"

You looked at him sheepishly, "hi, I'm here to see Kabu? I was told he was expecting me..." 

_"Well, that honestly took a lot less time for you to show up than I thought!"_

You jump at the sudden voice from behind you and turn around to see _him._ Kabu stood there in the center of the gym in the same uniform as always and his signature towel around his neck. You feel a lump in your throat that you struggle to swallow as he stares at you; the red outfit, peppered hair and the defined facial features that never seem to change, Kabu looked the same as always, the same as the first time you saw him and the same as the last time you saw him. He maintained a stoic expression as he approached you with his iconic trot and stood next to you. "It's been quite a while, how have you been?"

You felt obligated to stand up as straight as you could in order to talk to him, despite the both of you being close in height, "Mr. Kabu! I've uh- been good!" You weren't sure why you felt so tense, was it because he was such a more experienced trainer than you? Or was it just because this was the first time you'd seen him in forever? You felt like his eyes saw right through you as you both just stared at each other for a moment. 

"I was just informed that you're looking for something new to do during renovations this year, as your friends may have told you, I might actually have something that would pique your interest if you are willing to listen?" His expression softened and he started walking towards a door on the side of the gym, gesturing for you to accompany him. "Things definitely would be slow for a Champion around a time like this, especially since the Gym Challenge won't be starting up for a while." He opened a door and offered for you to walk in first, "please enter the room at the end of the hall."

As you walked with him, you saw pictures of the gym over the years and there were some posters of the previous Motostoke leaders preceding Kabu, you were still trying to process how he was so calm about this, you couldn't remember the last decent conversation you had together. "I'm sorry for such late notice, this all started with a normal conversation with Sonia, I didn't expect things to escalate so quickly. I wouldn't have imposed this on you so abruptly if I could have helped it..." You looked at him with an apologetic look but he shook his head.

"No this is fine, believe me, things have been slow for every League member right around now and I'm more than happy to assist the Champion in any way I can as well." You reach the end of the hall and he lets you in, the room is well decorated with trophies on a shelf, red carpeting, mahogany furniture, some wall scrolls with writing in a language you didn't recognize and a traditional style painting of a Centiskorch on the wall. You could see the turf of the gym through the window behind his desk. It was a nice-looking office and you felt so out of place; he pulled out a chair in front of his desk for you and sat on his own. "If I may ask, how did you enjoy your experience participating in the Gym Challenge, was it satisfactory?" He pulled off the towel from around his neck, folded it, and placed it on top of his before opening a drawer and rummaging through papers in said desk.

You took off your bag and sat in on your lap while thinking about how to word your response. "Of course I did, every battle, every person and Pokémon I met, every place I traveled to and all the memories I made, they were all incredible and it was probably the best year of my life. And then in the end I was able to become Champion, it was an unforgettable experience." He wasn't looking at you but you could tell he was still listening, especially from the soft smile he gave.

"That's fortunate to hear, I was fearing that the challenge was too easy for you, even more so after our own battle, don't think I forgot how you swept my team." Your eyes went wide and you weren't sure how to respond, you remembered all too well as well how your Drizzile absolutely carried your team against Kabu's all those years ago. He grabbed a small folded paper from his desk and placed it in front of him.

"You were one of my most challenging and notable battles, Kabu, I was only able to win because of the type advantage of my starter, but your battle style and tactics were immaculate and entirely different from my battle with Milo and Nessa, I learned a lot from that experience." You looked down at your feet and then back up to him, his smile remained.

"That's a reassuring statement to hear and I appreciate it" He began unfolding the paper and turned it towards you. "As you may have heard, I'm from a region called Hoenn, which is quite the way from here." You nodded and listened intently. 

"After hearing a synopsis of your predicament from the others, I think this year may be a good opportunity for you to attempt a new type of Gym Challenge if you're up for it of course."

You lean over and read the paper: "The annual Hoenn League is starting once again! Collect eight gym badges and see if you have what it takes to challenge the Champion and claim the title for your own!" _Another League..._ You pondered this, this could be the perfect opportunity to find that excitement and motivation you were looking for...

"I'll admit," you said as you slid the paper closer to you, "this does sound very interesting, and honestly sounds like the trip of a lifetime, but I don't know, I've never been outside of Galar before..."

"Well, neither had Leon's brother Hop, but I heard he's in Unova as we speak." That was a good point and you were surprised Kabu was even aware of that, but people talk. "I grew up in Hoenn for a long time before transferring here, and that was a big culture shock for me but I got the hang of it." He leaned back and folded his arms, "Here is some food for thought: just like our challenge, the Hoenn League lasts for a full year to win the eight badges and fight the Champion, so there is plenty of time. In addition to this, I will also e going back home for that year as well."

You raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You aren't going to stay here and help at the gym?" He shook his head and turned his head to the side enough to glance out the window.

"I won't be needed here, if it's just renovations there isn't too much for me to do and I can't sit still long enough to just wait, I even got cleared from my higher-ups."

"I see." A trip to Hoenn, you considered the pros and cons: You'd get to have a fresh new journey, but you'd be leaving Galar, but then again it was only for a year.

"If it reassures you any, I would be more than happy to accompany you to my homeland and help guide you throughout the challenge." You shot your eyes up to his but he was still looking out the window. 

"I couldn't trouble you with that, but I do think I will attempt this, it could be exactly what I'm looking for and now I see what Sonia meant by you could help me."

He looked at you with a mildly confused expression. "It isn't a burden on me and if anything I think it would be a good experience for me to learn from our own Champion, as well as an honor to be able to teach you about the region where I am from. So please don't think of my presence as something to hold you back."

You bit the inside of your cheek as you thought about it some more, it would probably be easier to go to Hoenn with someone who's from there and knows the region well, even more so since you had no experience with it at all. You could see Kabu patiently looking at you as you took a minute to think it over. Finally, you gave in and smiled. "You know what, I will take you up on that. A Champion should know their Gym Leaders better anyway and if I were to have a tour guide from the Hoenn Region, it only makes sense it would be you!"

He closed his eyes as he gave a big grin with a chuckle. "I'm glad to hear that, it's not often I can teach someone what makes my home so great, so getting to show them is even better." He pulls out his Rotom phone, albeit an older model, "it would probably be more efficient for us to exchange cellular numbers to keep in contact, you can take this flyer and if there are more questions, feel free to ask me!" 

You took his phone and entered your contact information, _"cellular numbers."_ He really was an old man a bit behind on the times but you couldn't help but smile at that. Once you had organised all that and settled some basic information, you bid him farewell and he offered to see you out of the gym. It was getting to be around 4 p.m. and you were getting ready to head back to your apartment in Wyndon. "I'm sorry again if this seemed too sudden, I hope this wasn't an inconvenience, I know we haven't talked a lot before and I hope that didn't make things more uncomfortable."

He smiled, a bigger, warmer one this time. "Not at all, I was going back home anyway and for you to be able to experience what I've experienced is a nice thought! I just hope you are able to enjoy it thoroughly! Also, don't worry about the whole 'not talking; part, you're the Champion and have a schedule to abide by, you shouldn't bother yourself with someone like me" His words were reassuring and you wondered if he was always this humble; after you gave your farewells and took a taxi back home. Once you made it back, you instantly crashed into your bed and reflected on everything that had just happened today. You felt so overwhelmed; you went from talking about Eternatus and Ultra Beasts, to flying to Motostoke and now agreeing to take on the Hoenn League accompanied by Gym Leader Kabu. A lot was happening and it was happening fast, but you made sure to call Hop and catch him up on everything. You weren't exactly sure how you would approach all of this but you were going to make sure to give it your all.


End file.
